"Nora Ephron wrote the literate and funny screenplays for When Harry Met Sally and Heartburn. With her understated wit, she has punctured many a bubble of conformity and made audiences laugh in recognition. When her latest book arrived, I was amused by the title: I Feel Bad About My Neck. Here was a new body part to agonize over, one the beauty magazines haven't caught up to yet." Read the entire Christian Science Monitor review.

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2 Responses to "It's Not Easy Being Nora Ephron"

davefromspain
November 2, 2006
at 09:17 PM

While i've not read the book, I want to comment on the principle of this genre.
I realize that this book is a comic satire on ageing. However, that does not excuse what i understand as a woman who simply refuses to age.
This seems to be a growing trend amoung the soon to be retired population. America is so obsessed with the appearance of youth, that we nearly mutilate our bodies with "the most poisonous naturally occurring substance in the world" (botox anyone? quoted from wikipedia).
Does this trend bother anyone else? Am I crazy? I'm sorry if this is off topic.
~DavefromSpain

Lisa Guidarini
October 10, 2006
at 10:06 AM

I absolutely loved this book, and I thought it struck the perfect balance between comedy and poignancy. I could tell Ephron did, truly, feel bad (sic!) about her neck, and about a lot of other things associated with aging, as well. It really did hit that depressive spot in me, at times, but Ephron is so skilled she knows exactly when to stop hitting that note and strike a more funny, upbeat one instead. Her self-depracating humor was absolutely perfect, and though she addresses heavy issues we know she feels strongly about, she isn't unrelentingly maudlin. I'd recommend this one as being the best the essay genre gets.